The Monday editorial in the Rutland Herald took to task the “more reactionary” segment of America’s political community. The cause of the editorial was a bumper sticker that reads, “I love America, but I fear its government.”

The writer went on to express his view on many other governments in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and how undemocratic and dangerous they are to their citizens. The writer finished with, “Those are the kinds of government any responsible citizen should fear. Ours has its problems and some reforms may be desirable, but our basic freedoms remain secure. In this country, there’s no danger that bumper stickers will lead to prison.”

Being that I include myself in the more reactionary segment of our society, I feel it’s important to respond. In 2012, President Barack Obama signed into law the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act). Sections 1021 and 1022 of this act give the U.S. government the right to indefinitely detain any U.S. citizen without trial, indefinitely. Another writer mentioned this very thing in a letter on Friday. This is not propaganda. This is a fact that anyone can look up and find.

Read Sec. 2. Restricted Building or Grounds. This is part of H.R. 347 or the Federal Restricted Grounds and Improvement Act, approved by the Senate and House of Representatives. This act eliminates any chance Americans will ever see protests the size of those seen in Washington and other cities around the country during the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. Under this new act, they are now illegal.

Based on the rewriting of the above two acts, Americans (that’s you), no longer have the protection of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh or Eighth Amendments. I realize this seems hard to believe. Those who wrote and passed them are counting on it.

The nature of all government is to seek power. If we are to maintain our freedom, we need more reactionaries not fewer.